SOS: Missing Moments
by touchofxpink
Summary: A full length version of the jungle trek in S.O.S, that fills in the blanks and missing scenes. More Jate goodies than the episode!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes:** This story is based on the premise created in "Mara's Missing Moments," a Star Wars fanfiction that takes the romance of Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade to new levels by reworking the canon material to fill in holes. This story attempts to do the same with episode 2x19 "S.O.S". It provides everyone with just a little bit more Jate goodness! I hope you enjoy!

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**S.O.S: Missing Moments**

_by touchofxpink_

Kate had been washing her face in the salt-water, contemplating her day's activities, when Sawyer approached and asked her to help him dig some clams. She accepted.

It was a relatively cool day on the island, and the water too was cool as she scraped the bottom of a tidal pool. It was harder work than it looked like, and Sawyer enjoyed making fun of her as she labored.

"Now that is a nasty little clam, Freckles. I reckon it must be a fighter if a strong little lady like yourself can't get it off that rock."

She shot him her most withering look. "You want to lend a hand?"

He smiled. "I'm good, Freckles. Watching you is all I got taste for."

It was the type of barely concealed innuendo that Kate was used to hearing from Sawyer. She still hadn't figured out whether he meant it or not. She half-smiled and shook her head, her usual response for his remarks.

She worked as diligently as she could, glad of the excuse to train her thoughts on something other than Jack Shepard. He had come crashing back into her life. They hadn't spoken, really spoken, since she had kissed him. It was a foolish mistake, she figured, an instance where her underlying feelings and weaknesses got the best of her. She had been so careful around Jack ever since they crashed, trying to keep a friendly distance, so she would not taint his goodness, as she had done before. Her composure had fallen apart and she had gotten reckless, done something impulsive, and paid the price.

Thankfully, it seemed as if time was beginning to fix their situation. They were able to laugh together, or at least in the vicinity of each other, at the poker game, and Jack had extended his hand in friendship by offering to walk her to the beach. It was more than she could have ever hoped for, a sign that he might be able to forgive her.

He was such a beautiful person, inside and out. If she had been a better woman, she might have appreciated him. If she had been braver, she would have stayed and worked out the kiss instead of running back to Sawyer. It was a mistake she fiercely regretted every day. Whoever said to put the past behind you obviously had never had to deal with repercussions in the present.

She was so deeply involved her in thoughts that she cut herself. "Damn," she swore, lifting her index finger to her mouth.

"Ha. Got the best of you!" Sawyer exclaimed, whooping.

"You haven't even done anything," Kate retorted. They smirked at each other for a moment before Kate shook her hand and then went back to work.

They were silent for a few moments before Kate was able to get four clams out in quick succession.

"Haha, that's how it's done," Sawyer said. "Ah well look at you! That's like… for in the last half hour. Let me call the Guinness book."

Now it was annoying. "You want help or not?" Kate asked sharply, "'Cause I've got better things to do with my time."

Sawyer smiled and looked as if he wanted to respond. His eyes caught sight of something coming towards them on the beach and he barely concealed a grimace. "Oh happy day. Here comes Dr. Giggles."

Kate's stomach felt unpleasant all of a sudden. She turned her head, already knowing she would see Jack there. She watched his progress toward them, trying to smile but barely managing a grin.

"Hey," Jack said. Kate wanted to respond but her tongue was oddly heavy. Sawyer beat her too it. "Hey yourself."

Jack glanced towards her once, and then looked out towards the ocean as he stated his reason for coming. "I'm going back out into the jungle to talk to our friend with the beard. See if we can make a trade."

Kate breathed a little. He had come for Sawyer, and his guns. Sawyer seemed to recognize this too, as he stood and nodded sagely. "Ah, the old prisoner exchange. And you're inviting me along 'cause you want a gun, huh?"

Jack looked confused. "I'm not inviting you. I'm inviting Kate."

She glanced up in shock. "And I've already got a gun," Jack continued, "but thanks for offering."

Sawyer looked positively incensed. "How the hell did you get a gun?"

"Does it matter?" Jack asked. Both men stared at each other for a long second. Kate thought, not for the first time, about finding a ruler somewhere on the island. They turned to look at her, each begging for her company.

She didn't have to debate. She smiled at Jack and nodded. "I'll get my things."

* * *

Jack watched Kate quickly throw a few bottles of water and some granola bars from the supply drop into her backpack. She moved quickly and efficiently. It only took her a few minutes to gather everything. When she was done, she looked up at him and, seeing his stare, grinned crookedly. "Let's go," she said, heading off towards the jungle. 

"Right," Jack said lamely, moving in front of her.

"Taking the lead are we?" Kate asked, eyebrows raised.

"Well, last time you were out here the Others had you at gunpoint with a bag over your head. I didn't think you would remember where to go."

Kate frowned at him. He instantly felt a little bad. He hadn't meant it to sound like he was attacking her, merely stating a fact. He couldn't bring himself to apologize. He could never bring himself to articulate his feelings around Kate. They could laugh, cry, and live together, but he could never say how he felt.

They continued in silence for several long moments. The jungle was loud enough to make up for their quiet, but Jack still felt uncomfortable. There was a giant elephant in the room whenever they were together. It had been a baby before, a mere representation of the sexual tension between them. Now, however, since their kiss, it was full-sized and angry. He was a doctor and a "leader" of their group, but he could not figure out how to deal with this particular problem.

"I'm flattered." Her voice broke his thoughts.

He couldn't, for the life of him, figure out why she was flattered. "Yeah, why is that?"

"Because you chose me to go with you instead of Sawyer."

It had never been a question of asking Sawyer. He would have asked Kate to accompany him even if Ana-Lucia had not given him her gun. In fact, Jack had planned on asking Kate to join him as soon as he had formulated the plan. She was the face that jumped into his mind at the slightest provocation. He didn't really want to admit that to her, though, especially since he wasn't sure how she felt about their "problem."

So, he fell back on the safety net of lying. "I asked Sayid first, but he turned me down. And I only asked you because they don't want you. They grabbed you, had you at gun point." The horror of that particular recollection forced him to close his eyes for a moment. "They could have kept you, but they didn't. Then again, they didn't really want me either."

Jack half-smiled and kept walking. He didn't want to turn around and see her expression. He was afraid of what he might see there. She was silent for a few moments before catching up to him and smiling a bit bitterly. "Damaged goods, both of us," she said.

An irrational part of him wanted to tell her that she was nowhere near damaged. But he didn't. He nodded and continued on.

He had gone a few paces when he realized he could not hear her footsteps anymore. He turned around and saw Kate staring at an object in the tall grass. "What's that?" she asked.

"Kate," he began, starting to move back towards her.

She reached for. "It's a doll!"

He couldn't believe she was actually reaching for it. It was, in his mind, obviously a trap. He began running towards her. "Wait! Wait! No, don't!"

Jack reached her just as she picked it up. A split second later, a net emerged from the ground and ensnared them both. He was literally pressed up on Kate, every inch of his body touching every inch of hers.

"Sorry," she murmured sheepishly.

Jack had never felt less angry in his life.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Notes:** I got this part up pretty fast:) Thanks to everyone who reviewed the first installment, I hope you enjoy this one just as much. I'll be in Cancun for the rest of the week, so please just R & R!

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Kate had definitely not planned on getting trapped in a net with Jack on their little adventure. She would have banked on getting in a gunfight with him before this. 

It was certainly an awkward situation. There wasn't exactly room to move in the net, and every inch of her flesh was rubbing against Jack's. His chin rested on the top of her head. He smelled of sweat and soap, entirely masculine and strong. Kate felt her knees go a little weak as she inhaled.

"You okay?" Jack asked.

_Sure_, Kate thought, _except for the fact that we are basically having sex with our clothes on_. "Yeah," she said out loud.

He shifted his head so he was looking down at her. She was afraid he would be angry, but to her pleasant surprise, he was smiling. "Oh good so, you can hear me?"

Kate looked up at him sheepishly. He turned his head, surveying the net, as she turned hers. Her nose grazed his chin. The touch sent shivers down her spine.

"This isn't one of theirs," Jack observed. He adjusted his body position. He was, if anything, even closer to her.

_Concentrate on the situation,_ Kate scolded herself. "No," she bit out, "It's not sophisticated enough. It must be one of Rousseau's traps, so hopefully she's not far from here."

Jack moved his head so his breath softly grazed her skin. _Are you trying to drive me insane?_ Kate asked silently, wondering, not for the first time, if this was some kind of punishment designed to make her pay for leaving him that day.

She supposed it didn't really matter. She was actually kind of having fun.

"It could be a week before she shows up," Jack said. Kate groaned. He moved suddenly, his hands traveling down her sides. He seemed to be trying to avoid contact, but they were in such close proximity it was impossible. She felt a little bit alarmed as they traveled lower.

"What are you doing?" she asked, hoping she sounded casual.

"I'm trying to get the gun." _Of course,_ Kate thought, _I am such an idiot. _"I can't get my arm around."

It seemed as if she would have to get the gun. She took a deep breath and snaked both of her arms around his waist. His shirt was tucked into his pants, so she had no choice but to pull it out. Her fingertips grazed his skin and she heard him inhale sharply. Kate looked up, thinking she had hurt him, and was shocked to see Jack staring down at her. His eyes were clouded with what seemed to be lust, but she couldn't tell for sure. Their mouths hovered close together for several long seconds. Then, the net shifted and Kate remembered the task at hand.

She pulled out the gun, her fingertips grazing the top of his underwear. "Alright. Sorry," she said, as she moved slowly, undoubtedly hurting him a bit. "I don't want to shoot you." She pulled again. "Okay…"

Jack grunted above him, his mouth getting caught in her hair. "You got it?"

Their cheeks rubbed together. "Okay, ready?" She pulled one last time. "Got it, got it, got it."

"Oh alright," Jack sighed. Kate lifted up the gun in front of her face. It was the farthest apart they had been the entire time. She breathed heavily for a few seconds. "Now give me the gun."

Kate stopped. "Why, what for?"

"I'm going to try to shoot the rope," Jack said. They both turned to look towards the rope. Kate privately thought he had lost his mind. She was, after all, a bank robber. She took aim. "Oh, hey, hey, hey!"

Kate continued to train her eye on the rope, paying him almost no mind. "I'm a better shot than you are." It was true after all.

He laughed. "Oh really?"

She rested a hand on his bicep. It was harder than she imagined. "Yeah, I told you," she said, "I grew up hunting with my dad."

Kate shot. It missed. "Damn!"

"Well," Jack said, "At least they know where we are. Okay, now give me the gun."

She wasn't giving up that easily. If they ever got out of there, they would need as many bullets as possible. "Are you going to waste another bullet?"

"We still have thirteen more to shoot each other with," Jack said, chuckling. She smiled up at him. He seemed to be cracking a lot more jokes on this trip than usual.

"Fine," Kate said, passing the gun to him. "You have a better angle than mine anyway."

He looked at her, obviously amused. "Oh, that's going to be your excuse when I make the shot?"

She liked this new relationship. She liked being able to tease him. "When you make the shot?" Jack looked at her and smiled. He took aim, and fired.

He made the shot.

Jack breathed an inaudible sigh of relief when the shot hit its mark. He hadn't wanted to miss in front of Kate. He didn't really have time to think, however, as the net broke apart and they came crashing to the ground.

They fell hard, Kate landing directly on top of him. The wind was knocked out of both of them and they lay there for a second. She smelled sweet, and he wasn't sure how she managed that. He wasn't sure he cared.

Kate lifted her head a few inches and looked towards the shot rope. Jack lifted his own head and they smiled at each other, still close together despite being freed from the trap.

"Nice shot," Kate said, grinning.

She laughed, a little hoarsely because she was still out of breath, and leaned back on him. She rested her head against his neck and inhaled and exhaled slowly. He was tempted to wrap his arms around her, but refrained.

"Am I squishing you?" she asked, her voice muffled by his shoulder.

_Not a problem_, Jack thought. "No, don't worry about it. You're not heavy at all. I need to catch my breath, too."

They lay there for a minute or so before Kate rolled over and sat up. She crossed her legs and put her chin in her hands beside him. She smiled again. It struck him then that they hadn't really smiled at each other in awhile. He smiled back.

"Well," Kate said, studying her fingernails. They were caked in dirt. "Did you have that planned, or was that just a funny detour?"

Jack laughed. "That was definitely not part of the plan." He lay there for a few more moments, collecting himself, before he jumped to his feet and extended a hand towards her. "Come on. We still have a ways to go."

Kate groaned, but accepted his hand and allowed him to pull her up. "I have a feeling this is going to hurt more in the morning."

He laughed again. "Well, hopefully by this time tomorrow we'll have Walt back and the pain won't matter."

They began to walk, Jack again taking the lead. He chewed the inside of his cheek, concentrating on getting his bearings. At first, most of the jungle had looked alike. Once Jack had gotten more familiar with his surroundings, however, he began to notice the subtle differences between the trees and the animals that tended to inhabit different parts of the island.

Even if he hadn't known the paths well, he would have never forgotten how to get to the "line." Its image was imprinted in his brain. He still woke up from nightmares of Kate, bounded and gagged, with a gun pointed at her head. He was more terrified in that instance than he had been in his entire life.

"You're quiet," Kate observed.

Jack shrugged. "I guess there's not that much to say."

She seemed offended by that. "Well, I won't bother you."

_It's not that,_ Jack wanted to say. _I don't know what I can tell you. It's too complicated, our relationship. I don't want to say too much or too little. I can't just talk to you, because I'm afraid of what I might admit. I'm afraid that I might lose you, just when I am starting to get you back._

He didn't say anything. He shrugged one more time, and then allowed thoughts of Walt, the Others, and Henry Gale to consume his mind.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Notes: **Sorry this took me so long to get up! I was in Cancun last week, and then this week was "Hell Week" for a musical that I am a part of. I was barely sleeping, let alone writing. This chapter is really short, and it's completely based on something not in the actual episode, so I hope you enjoy. The final chapter or two should be posted by the end of the week, just in time for my birthday on May 8th! ;)

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They walked in silence for some time. Kate wanted to say something, anything, to break the monotony but she couldn't think of an appropriate remark. Her history with Jack was so complicated. Any remark she considered was either too personal or too casual. Their relationship had been so many things but now it was barely anything, a mere fraction of what it used to be.

She knew she had ruined things by kissing him. It had obviously not been something he was looking for, judging by his avoiding of her afterwards, and for that she regretted it. She would give anything to have their relationship back to the way it was, back to when they could joke with each other or confide in each other. He was the only person she had ever felt like talking to at all hours, the only person she had ever trusted and had ever considered telling her darkest and deepest secrets to.

It wasn't that she didn't want him to know about her past. She did, desperately. But Kate was afraid of the repercussions. She was afraid that he would be repulsed by the murder she committed or by the robberies she led. He had his own problems, that she knew, but they were nothing like hers. She didn't want to lose him because of her weaknesses.

They had come to a small hill. It was raining, hard, and the ground was muddy. Jack started up the hill, digging his feet into the turf to keep his balance. Kate followed suit, but her shoes were a little too big, and she slipped.

Jack turned around quickly and grabbed both of her arms. It was to no avail, however, as she was already falling too quickly. Instead of saving her, Jack got caught in the momentum and ended up falling as well.

They rolled to the bottom of the hill and landed on each other in a heap of muddy clothes and body parts. Kate ended up entangled in Jack's arms once again. Once they had stopped rolling, both began to laugh.

"This is getting a bit ridiculous," Kate said, shaking her head.

"It is," Jack agreed. They untangled and sat up, each cross-legged. Jack brushed some of the mud off his clothes. Kate did the same.

They were silent again, except for the sound of the rain beating down. Kate had never really seen this part of the jungle. She had been kidnapped and blind folded somewhere near here, but could barely remember any of it. All she remembered of that experience was Jack's coldness after they had given her back. That had hurt more than the binding by the Others.

"You've got some mud," Jack said, gesturing towards his cheek. She swiped at her own cheek, feeling a bit self-conscious. "No, it's a bit more to the left." She tried again. Jack laughed. "Let me get it."

He leaned forward and brushed her cheek delicately with his thumb. His hands were rough with wear but they were utterly gentle in their touch. The tender contact caused shivers to chase down her spine. She tried to smile and make a joke, but her throat was constricted.

Jack left his hand cupping her face for just a second too long. Their eyes met for a long moment and the corners of his mouth turned up in an adorable grin. Kate wanted nothing more then to kiss him again.

Then, something cracked off in the jungle and both jumped up. Kate swallowed and gestured towards the hill that they had so recently fallen down. "We should get going," she said.

Jack nodded and offered her a hand. "I'll help you up," he said, and they continued on their way.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Notes:** I know. I took so long! I'm sorry. This is the second to last chapter. The last one really should be up by Sunday night. I am in the process of writing another Jate story, with a pretty cool plot if I do say so myself. I'll tell you more about that with the last chapter of this story, and I hope you all check it out.

By the way, these last few episodes of Lost have been CRAZY!

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**SOS: Missing Moments**

_by touchofxpink_

There was something about the situation that bothered Jack. It wasn't the extreme tension between him and Kate; that seemed to be easing somewhat. It was something Kate had said, about the Others and their sophistication. She seemed to know a lot about it, too much, in his opinion. He couldn't contain himself; he had to ask her.

"What did you mean back there?"

Kate looked at him quizzically. "What?"

Jack supposed there were a lot of ways she could misinterpret that question. "In the net," he clarified, "You said they were sophisticated… The Others."

She looked sheepish. "Uh, last week, when the baby got sick… Claire and I went into the jungle and uh… found another Hatch."

He could hardly believe his ears. "What?"

"It's a medical station. There's nothing you can use; it was all cleared out, but I found some lockers. They had clothes inside -- all worn and dirty. And they were on hangers like costumes, you know. And there was a make-up kit, and a fake beard."

Jack wanted to berate her for traipsing off into the jungle basically alone. She knew how dangerous it was. That bothered him so much more than the fact that she hadn't told him. But he couldn't tell her that. "When were you going to tell me this?"

She stopped and stared at him, deadly serious. He stopped as well and stared down at her. _Maybe it's better I didn't know,_ Jack thought, _I would have gone crazy._

Kate's harsh voice brought him back to reality. "When you decided to let me back in the club," she said defiantly.

The words hit too close to home. He walked away. "What?" Kate continued, "You can keep one of them locked in the hatch for like a week and say nothing, but then when I…"

Her voice trailed off as she joined him in the clearing. Jack looked around. A chill descended over his body as he viewed the invisible "line." "We're here," he said quietly.

Kate looked uneasy as well. "Are you sure?"

_I could never forget this place,_ Jack thought. _They had a gun to your head. Every second of that night haunts my dreams._ He pointed around the clearing. "That's where they took a shot at Sawyer. Right over there," he swallowed, "was where they pushed you out of the jungle with the bag on your head. And right there is where I laid my guns down."

The memories of the place were crashing down around him. He needed to do something. He stepped towards the center of the clearing and spread his arms out wide. "Hey, hey! I'm back! You say you're watching us! You hear me? We've got your man. If you want him you're going to have to come out here! Come on out!"

Kate looked at him desperately. "Jack!"

"I know you're out there! I know you can hear me!"

"Jack, they're not here."

"I'll be right here 'til you talk to me! I'll be right here!"

* * *

She wasn't sure exactly how many minutes passed before Jack lost his voice. One moment he was screaming, the next he was rasping at the still vacant air. Kate immediately rushed to his side, and he waved her away.

"Jack, come on. Let's go back. They obviously are not here."

"They're here," he whispered, a manic glint in his eye. "They heard me."

He was starting to scare her. "Come on, Jack," she tried again.

"I'm not leaving until they answer me."

It was obvious he wouldn't go back to the beach or the hatch. But it was equally obvious that they couldn't remain standing in the rain forever. Kate laid a hand on his arm and that seemed to calm him. He stopped seething and looked at her, as if he was seeing her for the first time in a long while.

"Come on, Jack. We can stay here. But let's at least make camp. We need to dry our clothes or we'll catch a cold or a flu or something worse."

He nodded, resigned. "Let's set up in that clearing over there. I'll get some wood for a fire."

Kate shook her head. "You're already worn out. Just sit down. The rain's slowing. I can get the wood and something to eat."

"Okay," Jack said, looking wary. "Take the gun, just in case. And be careful."

"You know me," Kate said, laughing, "I always am."

Jack smiled back, but it didn't entirely reach his eyes. She took the gun and hurried off in the jungle to avoid the awkward silence that had descended on them.

Kate wasn't exactly sure what their relationship used to be. They were something more than friends. There was an undeniable chemistry between them. At first, he represented everything that she had lost with Tom. He was seemingly the same, a handsome doctor who made her feel safe. But she came to realize that he was a different person entirely, with his own complexities and shortcomings. He wasn't perfect. That made her like him more.

When she realized that he was real and attainable, she became afraid. She wasn't used to being with guys like him, guys who were perfect in their imperfections. She was afraid of tainting him. She was afraid that if she let him in, he would grow tired of her or see that she really wasn't the person he believed she was. She was afraid of disappointing him. She was afraid of feeling the pain when he left her.

Kate arrived at a suitable climbing tree. She dropped her bag to the ground and began shimmying up the trunk. Her limbs ached with the need to move, and she climbed higher than absolutely necessary.

She reached the top most branch and perched herself on one of the sturdier limbs. The tree was fairly tall, and she could see the surrounding forest. To her right, smoke from the fires of the beach rose above the tree line. To her left, Kate could see Jack pacing around the clearing, head in his hands.

Her heart went out to him. He kept glancing towards where she had disappeared, as if expecting to see her emerge any second. She wanted to ease his pain, to let him know that he had done all he could.

If she had been a braver person, she might have climbed down from the tree and gone to comfort him. She might have gone to let him know that cared. But she was still too afraid. So instead, she picked a few guavas and then went off in search of firewood.


End file.
